Borrowed Blog

I borrowed this from my friend Stacy's blog. Too tired to do anything creative on my own.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

Wrapping paper. Always. I detest gift bags. They spoil the fun of opening up the gift. I like the ripping of paper and all that jazz, so gift bags are just not fun for me.

2. Real tree or Artificial?

Artificial, and this year we have 3 of them. We have the one that was given to us when we were given a Christmas shower the December before our January wedding, and last year I bought 2-4' trees to spread the ornaments around. One of the smaller trees is decorated with the kids' ornaments they've made over the years, and the other is just for Hallmark and other keepsake ornaments.

3. When do you put up the tree?

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, if not on Thanksgiving day. I don't think I've ever waited until December to put it up. I love Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down?

Usually the day after Christmas or the 27th. I never leave it up past New Year's Day. I get tired of looking at it after a month of having it around!

5. Do you like egg nog?

Blech. No. My husband loves it, though. It's too sweet for me.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

The year my sister and I got the homemade table and benches for our room, along with Big Wheels for each of us and a Play Doh fuzzy pumper barber shop.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

I have a wooden one and a resin one, but neither are collectible. I might start collecting a nicer one after the kids get a little older. I'd love the Willow Tree set.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My husband. He buys whatever he wants, so there's nothing left to get him for Christmas.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

The children.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mailed. I usually have them addressed and ready to be mailed on the first day of December, but I haven't even thought about doing them this year. I don't think I'll get around to it, either. I haven't been able to put my hands on my address book since we moved last year, so that has a lot to do with it.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Every year I get a big, clunky piece of jewelry from my mother-in-law. What she hasn't realized yet is that I don't wear a lot of jewelry. She usually gives me a charm for a charm bracelet I don't own, too (SIL has one, but I don't...)

12 . Favorite Christmas movie?

The only Christmas movie I can watch every year is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". The Jell-O mold with the cat food cracks me up every year...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

October

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Yes. See #11. If I don't wear it, I hate wasting it.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Queen Anne chocolate covered cherries. I just bought a box of them at Walgreen's!

16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree?

Clear. They're my favorite, but the kids like the colored ones. The big tree has colored lights and the 2 little ones have white lights. I insist on white lights on the outside of the house. I don't want colored lights on my home.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

"Blue Christmas" by Elvis and "Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Home. I hate traveling during the Christmas holidays.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen and Rudolph.

Impressed?

Don't be. I had to Google it.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

There's an angel on top of the big tree, and red velvet bows on the little ones.

21 . Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

The kids get to open new PJs on Christmas Eve, but everything else is saved for Christmas morning.

22 . Most annoying thing about this time of year?

That song about the Christmas shoes.

23. Favorite christmas ornament?

The crocheted wreaths and stockings that my grandmother made. She used to make them and give them away every Christmas. When we cleaned out her house after my granddaddy died (and we had to move her to an assisted living facility because of her Alzheimer's) I found a bunch of those ornaments. I hogged them all and now they hang on my tree. I also found a gorgeous crocheted tree skirt she'd made, and I use it every year.

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner?

Anything I don't have to cook.